


Brevity (Season 5 and 6 traditional drabbles)

by orphan_account



Series: Brevity [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Character studies, Drabbles, F/M, Gen, John Diggle/Lyla Michaels - Freeform, Missing Scenes, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak exes angst, TV canon-compliant, arrow season 5, different pov each chapter, mild Olicity pining, minor character pov, spec fics, traditional drabbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 22:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10053347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Old-school drabbles (100 words - no more and no less), in response to episodes of Arrow. Later episodes often contradict things in the drabbles. Includes both gen and het chapters. Het chapters are primarily Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak.





	1. Agency (and Not the Temp Kind) (Felicity POV, early summer before season 5)

**Author's Note:**

> I used to like using the old, 100-word drabble form as a kind of writing exercise. It forces me to experiment with descriptions that carry the emotional weight of the writing - to pare writing to its essence. (There also isn't space to worry about plot - just about fitting enough action to make the twist at the end hurt.)

"What are you going to do for your cover now?" Oliver's tone had been carefully conversational.

But it reminded Felicity of her days at QC, and how limited her choices had been, whether as executive assistant, vice president, or CEO. But her finances were better now, even after paying off MIT loans and buying dental insurance and arrows.

Maybe she would sell comics. And pedicures.

Or maybe she would just be Overwatch.

Choosing to save the world from Darkh, instead of saving her job from the board of directors... it had felt right.

Maybe there was no choice to make.


	2. City Councilwoman #3 (5.01)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Point-of-view of an extra in 5.01.

Amelia wished that she had never agreed to fill that city council seat.

Boring meetings. Mediocre coffee. And although the mayor was nice to look at, he was never around.

And the first time in months that he showed up for anything? He was kidnapped. And somehow, she got dragged along for the ride.

And now she had a bag over her head, and someone was shooting, and the mayor was gone, presumably dead. Too bad. His attitude was kind of interesting. Plus it seemed like he knew the Green Arrow.

Maybe she should have voted for him, after all.


	3. Attachments (5.02)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An experiment in trying to write in present tense. Old habits are hard to break, but present tense has an interesting feel to it.

Someone once told him that the origin of suffering is attachment. At this point, Oliver can’t remember whether he learned that from Anatoly or Slade or Talia. But wisdom is wisdom, whether it comes from a Russian cynic or an Australian commando.

But... there’s a little girl’s smile in a clinic, a handshake on a rooftop, a young punk implying that he might trust Oliver enough to follow him into battle. And a friend... just a friend? ...in the green glow of the bunker, talking about awe.

Oliver shakes his head and sighs as Felicity’s keyboard clacks in the distance.


	4. морока (5.12)

Americans. Too many more of them and Anatoly’s entire beard would turn grey.

He signaled for the next of his men to come in and give his report.

It was disturbing. False rumors of Bratva shaking down executives of telephone companies. “Shaking down.” That is what the Americans would call it. Appropriate, given the source of the threats. Anatoly dismissed the man, and sat in the dim light by the bar, thinking.

Oliver would not have played him. That much he knew. But the blonde? Perhaps she deserved more notice.

Perhaps Anatoly should have made her his new favorite American.


	5. Ambivalence (5.13)

Felicity doesn't carry a gun.

It's not that she _can't_ shoot. She's perfectly capable of grabbing the nearest weapon and defending herself, or getting a gun into Lyla's hands.

And it's not that she's been shot and paralyzed. Brainwashed minions with automatic weapons or superviruses, villains with syringes or bomb collars – they were part of the package when she signed on.

She can watch John clean his Glock but keep it off the table. She can handle a gunshot wound in the back seat of her Mini, or holes in a laptop.

But she just doesn't carry a gun herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that 5.13 was the worst episode of season 5, by a lot. But I'm also glad that Felicity's role was minimal. I'd rather see a nuanced exploration of Felicity's complex relationship with ends-justifying-the-means, with guns, with violence in general... and with her relationship with Oliver and her role as Overwatch.
> 
> But a Very Special Episode is no place for nuance or complexity.
> 
> (I would also welcome a transformation of the show's typical action-story romanticization of gun use by the good guys in action sequences. And a change in the coding of "urban violence" as "unnamed black and Hispanic men with guns.")


	6. Scoop! (5.14, Susan POV)

Two weeks! If Oliver stood Susan up for dinner one more time, she might blurt out her question in the middle of a press conference. And that would _not_ be good timing, from a media OR relationship perspective. She hadn't screwed up that badly since college. Well, in a work environment. No comment on relationships.

She had promised to give Oliver a chance. Well, as the mayor. Not as the other guy. But she would let him explain himself, at least. The Green Arrow did a lot for the city.

Susan didn't knock. Instead, she just walked into Oliver's office.


	7. Relationship Fails (5.14, Oliver POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of my 5.14 POV drabble series.

Oliver Queen was the World's Worst Boyfriend. He knew that. At this point, he owned his failures, from getting onto the boat with Sara, to the deaths of Shado and Taiana, to the lie that drove Felicity to walk away.

He was trying to do better. To _be_ better.

But he still destroyed yet another woman's life. Well, with help from the two women he loved more than anyone else in the world. And his sister had compromised her innate goodness... to protect him. _To protect the monster that lived under the hood._

That was Oliver's worst failure of all.


	8. Monsters (5.14, Thea POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 of my 5.14 POV drabble series.

One of Thea's earliest memories involved Oliver protecting her from a gigantic monster. Well, actually a golden retriever that wanted to lick her to death. But the point stood, and the threats got more impressive with time: drugs, the League of Assassins, the truth about her parentage.

So of course she wanted to pay it back. Because she knew he would be too busy protecting other people to protect himself.

Though it was inevitable that she would fuck it up, she thought. She always did. 

From her mirror, Malcolm Merlyn's eyes looked back at her with Moira Queen's regal ruthlessness.


	9. Agency (and Not the Temp Kind) (Felicity POV, early summer before season 5)

Gunshots echoed over the comms. Felicity could only listen and wait.

On the computer, Channel 52 was showing Oliver’s press conference. His voice cracked as the last of his optimism shattered in the cold, baring his guilt and self-loathing to the world, or at least to her.

Felicity sighed and finally sent the e-mail, encrypted. Anything to bring Oliver’s optimism back. Even if some broken things can’t be fixed.

Finally the voices came over the comms, and Felicity remembered to breathe. Everyone was alive. Including Oliver.

Empathy is a completely useless superpower, she thought, and texted a message to Alena.


	10. Cleanup on Aisle Ten (5.16)

Quentin’s texts were predictably terse. _At the precinct._ _Susan giving statement._ Then a pause. Felicity started replying, but another message came: _Doris is dead._

The comms were silent. She stared at her screen, willing her shaking hands to type something. Anything.

It’s the waiting that’s the worst. She had thought, with a bigger team, that it would get better.

It didn’t.

There was broken glass on the floor, surrounding Oliver’s fallen mannequin.

Felicity stared at it for a moment, and then went to find a push broom.

She hated being alone, with nothing to do but pick up the pieces.


	11. The Fine Art of Prosecution (5.17)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian likes his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could have gone in "Collecting Tinder," but I think it fits better here.

Building a strong case takes time. Research. The right props – photos, glasses, injured parties - to help the jury understand what’s really at stake.

But the true craft happens when the witness is on the stand. Laying out the logic of the case. Asking the right questions, at the right time. Telling the right stories. Shouting. Whispering. Finding the right emotional pressure points. And then getting the confession.

The case is better when the witness is also the judge and jury, Adrian thought as he lay down the torch and removed the chains.

He was looking forward to the sentencing hearing.


	12. Don't Villains Ever Wash Their Hands? (5.18)

So much blood.

Felicity counted the gauze squares as Oliver silently discarded them, one by one, on the med table. Like a robot programmed to repair itself.  Gauze, water, blood. New gauze. Water. Blood.

Six days.

The blood had dried in layers. How old were the wounds underneath? They might be infected by now. She stood at the top of the steps, squinting, trying to tell whether anything was oozing from the wounds, if they were red around the edges.

He glanced at her, for barely a second, and looked away. Like it hurt too much to touch.

Definitely infected.


	13. Lines (5.19 - Oliver)

Felicity had been drawing lines for Oliver for years. The first time she stood up to him – literally; he could still picture her rising from that chair and into his personal space, rebooting his system forever – she had kept him on the right side of the line. Don't make an orphan of that kid. It hadn't taken long for him to realize that she was inevitably right, and no matter how stubborn he was, he would always acquiesce.

But now the lines were real, visible, laser-sharp. And Felicity was on the other side, turning and walking away.

He couldn't understand.


	14. Whatever It Takes (I) (5.19 - Felicity)

\- Preparing to die, killed by Malcolm or Slade or Ra's al Ghul's plane, to save the city from an earthquake, or supersoldiers, or a virus.

\- Re-joining the Bratva to keep a loose nuke off her conscience.

\- Trading life, or bliss, to save his sister.

\- Shooting three arrows into the Count, despite swearing off killing.

Once Felicity had listed all of Oliver's bad decisions. He didn't know that she had also counted the times he had given his soul for the city. Or for her.

The essence of heroism was sacrifice. That lesson came from a master.

It's her turn, now.


	15. Whatever It Takes (II) (5.19 - Lyla)

Lyla's first big responsibility as head of ARGUS had been to protect Rubicon.

She had failed. But she had learned some important lessons.

\- Eliminate all threats before they are obvious.

Cayden James and his team had amassed too much information and tech to be trusted, even if they weren't agents of chaos. Which they were.

\- Don't rely on emotionally compromised people.

She would have removed Felicity from active duty, maybe after Havenrock. Certainly once Prometheus became a personal vendetta.

Lyla had a job: do whatever it took to keep the world secure.

With or without Johnny's support. Or his knowledge.


	16. Good People (5.19 - Diggle)

There are good people and bad people. 

Sometimes, Digg knew, good people did bad things. (Oliver Queen was a prime example.)

Felicity Smoak was a good person, caring and smart, someone who made the people around her into the best versions of themselves.

Lyla Michaels had done the same for Digg, through two marriages and one divorce.

But if Felicity said that ARGUS was in the wrong... well, ARGUS had crossed the line before, and dragged Digg across it, too.

He had just never expected that his wife would be the one to drag them across that line this time.


	17. An Exercise Left to the Student (5.20)

Geometry had been Felicity's least favorite math class. Not because angles or shapes were hard, but because of the proofs. They required specific logic; she would skip the steps that were intuitively obvious.

Example:

"I understand... why you lied to me...  
_[because you thought you were lying about being a good person all along]_  
...about William.  
Why you had to...  
_[why you couldn't tell me everything, why you couldn't admit to me what you thought you were hiding from yourself]_  
...I get it.  
_[Don't hide.]_ "

Somewhere, someone must have written a proof of why love is irrational, but not imaginary.


	18. Risks (5.20 flashbacks)

For years, Felicity had known of the dangers that accompanied her work with Oliver. Bomb collars. Potentially falling down an elevator shaft. Earthquakes. Land mines. Pointy-tipped syringes filled with vertigo. Swords. Exploding dates. Poison gas. Bullets.

But there were far greater risks. The salmon ladder. Steady hands. Hard muscles rippling beneath her. Soft blue eyes, promising to do anything, if she would only ask.

Anything, that is, except to trust her to truly share in his hard personal decisions. She had to remind herself of that.

The greatest thing she had risked as a vigilante would always be her heart.


	19. Illuminated (5.21)

The light started at the foot of the bed and crept, inch by inch, up the rumpled blankets and tangled sheets. Oliver's alarm would go off before the light reached his hips, and he would slip out of bed, silently, and make a pot of coffee before it reached the pillows. There would be an hour, maybe more, before his first meeting with the city council, and before the press conference. 

Oliver looked at his feet, where her bright green toenails were running, ever slowly, along the arch of his foot, and took a breath.

 _This is who I am_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. In my headcanon, they got back together between the celebration and the news conference.


	20. True Courage (5.22)

Hypothetically speaking, honesty should be easy after you tell the love of your life that you're actually a monster who enjoys killing. If that doesn't make her turn and walk away – if she drags herself towards you instead – nothing else should be scary ever again. Right?

Oliver's reflection in the mirror gave no response.

The nerves were because the city was so quiet. Right?

The mirror remained silent. Oliver's fingers shook as he tried, a sixth time, to fix his tie. Finally, he gave up.

Being imperfect for Felicity? Scarier than any supervillain.

Oliver took a breath, and headed out.


	21. Dead Mothers Club (6.01)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving season 6 drabbles here for simplicity. Nothing new here.

Walking into the light was expected. Finding Moira Queen waiting? That wasn't.

"Thank you for protecting my son from yours," Moira said.

"Where is this?" Samantha asked, looking around. A younger woman stood behind Moira.

"Laura Ramirez," she said. "Rene's wife. Zoe's mother."

"This is where we watch," Moira said. "And wait. Rebecca Merlyn was here, but her purpose died with Malcolm."

"I'm hoping Donna Smoak joins us," Laura said. "We can play bridge."

Moira shook her head. "Felicity's origin story is done."

They looked out the window at the ARGUS boat.

"Lyla should be joining us soon," Moira said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I know how you feel, dear. I also died in a fire, so my son could spend time with his father."
> 
> Bambi's mother walked away, leaving a trail of deer poop behind her.


	22. Goosebumps (6.01)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm generally in favor of women wearing whatever the heck they want. And it's nice to see how much EBR has been working out. But... was Arrow using Felicity's bare shoulders to remind the audience that she's the love interest or something?

"Nice blouse," Dinah said. "Yellow looks good on you."

"Thanks." Felicity smiled up from behind her keyboard.

"Should I turn up the heat? You look cold."

"I'm fine, thanks," Felicity said.

Her shivering was even more obvious the next day.

"I love the red spaghetti straps," Dinah said. "But – and this is from someone who wears short sleeves with her mask – brrr!"

"I'm fine," Felicity said. "It's actually kind of hot in here."

Oliver walked by, brushing Felicity's shoulder.

Felicity shrugged at Dinah.

"I see," Dinah said. "If you ever want a sweater, I've got one stashed behind my suit."


	23. New Boss (6.02)

"So Diggle's the Green Arrow?" Rene asked, leaning against a pillar.

Felicity spun in her chair. "Yep."

"So, this might be obvious, but... are they going to call him the Black Arrow?" Curtis asked. "Because..." 

"And does Diggle fit into the suit?" Rene asked. 

"It's happened before," Felicity said. "All of it."

"But the Hood's suit was looser," Curtis said.

Felicity started coughing.

"That sounds like a  _no_ ," Rene said.

But Dinah asked the big question."John's obviously a great dad. Why didn't Oliver just write a will to make him William's guardian?"

Nobody had an answer to that one.


	24. Puberty (6.03)

"Oliver, could I talk to you?" William asked. "Alone?" He glanced awkwardly towards the table, where Felicity was working on her laptop.

"Any time, buddy," Oliver said, closing the bedroom door behind him. "What's up?"

"We had puberty class in school today," William started.

"Oh..." Oliver said. Was this better or worse than math? 

"I grabbed a bunch of these when the teacher wasn't looking," William said, emptying a bunch of condoms from his backpack.

Oliver stared at them. "William...?"

"I thought you might need them."

Maybe it was actually ok that William wasn't calling Oliver  _"Dad"_  yet, after all.


End file.
